The following are events related to the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) that took place on this day.

2001

• Elements of the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) arrived in the city of Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, and secured the city’s airport. The MEUs traveled for almost two weeks (from Camp Rhino) to reach the city and were greeted by the anti-Taliban forces that had defeated the regime and flushed the Taliban out of the city just days before. Before converting the airport facilities into command centers, the Marines had to clear the area of shrapnel, glass, and explosive hazards. Four days later, a Marine Color Guard at the airport raised an American flag, which had been sent and signed by rescue workers and friends and family of victims of the 11 September terrorist attacks and the attack on the USS Cole.

2003

• American soldiers captured former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein after discovering him hidden away in the dark of a tiny, underground burrow near his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq. His identity was confirmed through DNA testing. (Saddam Hussein is the Ace of Spades in the Iraq’s Most Wanted Deck of Cards)
• Operation Red Dawn in Iraq

2004

• Commandant of the Marine Corps General Michael W. Hagee and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps SgtMaj John L. Estrada visited Marines at various locations, including Al Asad and Fallujah, throughout Iraq to bring inspiration and hope to those serving. Both also candidly answered questions and concerns posed by service members. A few days later, troops received another visitor as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also made a visit to nearly every major U.S. base in Iraq on 24 December.

2005

• Start of Operation Liberty Express in Iraq

2007

• A Marine reservist, LCpl Delano Holmes, was found guilty of negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi soldier. The pair were standing watch together at a guard post in Fallujah on 31 December 2006 when LCpl Holmes stabbed Pvt Munther Jasem Muhammed Hassin to death. Despite claiming self-defense, LCpl Holmes was convicted and sentenced to time-served, reduction in rank to private, and a bad-conduct discharge. He had already spent 10-months in the brig while awaiting trial.

Casualties on December 13:

• TIME, TINA SAFAIRA – December 13, 2004
• VROMAN, BRENT THOMAS – December 13, 2004
• WARNER, RICHARD DANIEL – December 13, 2004
• KARIM, BRIAN CHRISTOPHER – December 13, 2005
• KESINGER, JAMES CLIFFORD – December 13, 2005
• NAVARRO, PETER JOSEPH – December 13, 2005
• ZYLA, MICHAEL SHANE – December 13, 2005
• KELSEY, SAMUEL EDBERT – December 13, 2007
• NAYLOR, BRYNN JOEL – December 13, 2007
• SMITH, DAREN ALLEN – December 13, 2007
• VAQUERANO, JALFRED DAVID – December 13, 2011
• REID, NICHOLAS JOHN – December 13, 2012
• TRENT, NELSON DAVID – December 13, 2012
• MIKEASKY, JOSHUA – December 13, 2018